Our lives are so busy at times that it can be all too easy to focus only on the negative and tiring things that have happened during the week. To counteract this, every week I join the #HappyDaysLinky run by the lovely Katy (whatkatysaid.com) and Sian (quitefranklyshesaid.com) to reflect on all the moments of the past week that have made me happy.

You may have noticed I haven’t posted a happy days post for a while as I’ve been away the last two weekends so I now have three weeks worth to catch up on. I can’t possibly remember every single happy moment as there have been an awful lot but here are the highlights:

Keith came back from Sea a few days after the kids broke up for the Summer. M is very often at school when Keith flies in and unable to come to the airport with us to pick him up, so he was over the moon that he got to come along this time.

We went on holiday to Gran Canaria. It’s a place we’ve been to six times now and we love it there but this was the first time my parents came along with us too.

Although L has been on planes before she was only a baby and doesn’t remember so she was unbelievably excited. The look on her face as we took off was priceless.

M has never been a huge fan of the water and we can never get him to go swimming in the UK, but on holiday you can’t get him out of the pool. This time round his confidence took on whole new heights and he even learnt how to swim underwater. For a kid who hates water anywhere near his eyes this was a big step. He even went down a slide off a pedalo and into the sea.

For the first few days L would only go in the water if you were carrying her, even with her armbands on. One afternoon though she had a leap in confidence and started pushing herself off from the steps if you were holding her hands, 15 minutes later she was swimming around on her own (with armbands of course) and she was so proud of herself.

L developed a taste for parmesan. I gave her a little on her plate to try and she responded by taking bit fistfuls out of the bowl and shovelling them in!

On the last couple of days of the holiday M made a friend and they spent hours treading water in the deep pool and chatting away, it was really great to watch.

The day we were due to leave we discovered a place that did fish foot massages. M thought it was hilarious and asked if we could do it next time we went on holiday. Throwing caution to the wind Keith took him straight in and they did it there and then. The reactions on their faces when the fish first sucked on their feet was hilarious and me and my mum had a go afterwards too. It’ a very strange sensation but you really do end up with silky smooth feet afterwards.

After telling us it was her birthday soon for the last three months, L finally got her wish and she turned 3 last Tuesday.

L was spoilt rotten and had far too many presents but her favourites have been the Lego Friends Juniors (*affiliate link) sets she received and her rocking horse from Kiddies Kingdom.

M has always been a huge Lego fan but prefers to build his own creations and once the building part is over he doesn’t really play with them much. L on the other hand has played with hers every day, although she’s adamant the friendly dolphin is actually a shark and her poor figures keep getting attacked when they go swimming (slightly worrying but also pretty funny).

The rocking horse arrived while we were away so we didn’t get chance to put it together until the night before her birthday and had a bit of a game as there was a screw missing and another one was bent and had no thread. Thankfully Keith was home and managed to find spares in his shed and got it put together. I would definitely advise ordering early and putting something like this together well in advance so that you have time to contact the company if there’s a problem. That being said, L absolutely loves her rocking horse. It’s the perfect height for her to be able to get on and off without help and she loves that it makes noises when you press the ears, it’s definitely been a big hit.

L also got her wish and had her first ever birthday party. With it being the holidays only one of her nursery friends was able to come, but one of our friends came along with his three daughters who Lyla adores, as well as the grandparents and she had a really great day.

She also received a princess dress from our friends and despite refusing to wear it initially (even though she had asked for one), when she did eventually put it on she paraded round the house for a good hour in it pretending to be a princess with a big grin on her face.

On Thursday afternoon we went back to Bollihope to do some more rock collecting. It was a beautiful day and the views were stunning, Keith even spotted a grasshopper. We then dropped the kids of at their grandparents for a sleepover and Keith and I went out for a few drinks and meal followed by a Game of Thrones catch-up session, perfect evening.

On Friday we met up with some of M’s friends for a trek through the woods. They all had a great time getting muddy and building a damn in the river. It was great having a catch up with my friends too and L clung on to one of them the whole time and considers her her best friend ever which is really sweet.

Yesterday M went out with his friend for the day and they played in an old Abbey and had toasted marshmallows over a campfire. He then went back to his house and had his first sleepover (aside from with family). He’ll be back later today so I haven’t heard from him but I have been sent lots of pictures and it looks like he has had a fantastic time.

Those feet massage things freak me out – I am not sure I would be brave enough but my feet need it!! Glad L had a lovely birthday – 3 is such a lovely age. Thank you so much for joining in #HappyDaysLinky xKaty (What Katy Said) recently posted…Siblings: August

Hi, I'm Alana. I live in the North East with my husband Keith and two children (8 and 3). This is where I blog about family life and all that it entails, from reviews of days out and toys to advice on how we can not only cope with the chaos of everyday life, but turn it into something beautiful.